Creeping thistle

Leaves and Stem

The leaves are lobed and have small spines on the margin. The edges are also 'wavy' and toothed. The leaves can vary in length between 8 and 20 cm. The thistle can vary considerably in size.

The leaves run down to the spineless stems - which lack 'wings' (cf. spear thistle).

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers are pale purple / lilac in colour with a slight fragrance. The bracts beneath the flowers are purplish green in colour and scarcely spiny (compared to the spear thistle).

The seeds are achenes attached to feathery hairs (the pappus); sometimes referred to as plume thistles because of this arrangement.

Ecology and other notes

One of the most common thistles (Cirsium arvense). It is a perennial (with a creeping, rhizomatous rootstock) and can reach a height of a metre or more. Produces seeds with a 'plume' of feathery hairs - which aid dispersal.

Found throughout the U.K with the exception of highland areas.

It is found in grassy and waste places. It is regarded as a pernicious weed as defined by the "Weeds Act of 1959"